The present invention relates to drive arrangements for the spinning elements of a textile spinning machine, especially drives for the spindles and flyers of a flyer-type spinning machine wherein the spindles and flyers are supported in respective rails extending lengthwise of the machine and are driven in groups by means of toothed or similar timing belt drive arrangements.
Known flyer-type spinning machines of the aforementioned type have a first drive shaft extending the length of the machine positioned beneath the flyer rail for driving the flyers of the machine and a similar lengthwise-extending parallel drive shaft beneath the spindle rail for driving the machine spindles. Each such shaft drives a plurality of intermediate shafts via bevel or mitered gears, the intermediate shafts extending upwardly at regular spacings through the respectively associated spindle or bobbin rail. Toothed pulleys or cogs are fixed to the intermediate shafts extending through the flyer rail for synchronously driving one or more of the flyers via a toothed timing belt or the like. The intermediate shafts which extend through the spindle rail are in the form of splined shafts, each of which drives a toothed pulley or cog supported in the spindle rail, each such pulley or cog in turn driving one or more of the spindles via a timing belt or the like.
The expense of manufacturing this known drive arrangement is considerable as a result of the cost of the constituent shafts, shaft bearings, bevel gears, splined shafts and other components in addition to the cost of assembling such components. Further, this form of drive arrangement consumes a considerable amount of energy and is relatively noisy in operation.